This claims priority from German Patent Application No. 10 2014 221 120.4, filed on Oct. 17, 2014, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.
The invention relates to a drive system for a movable roof part of a motor vehicle roof module, with at least one support bar which is fastened laterally to the roof part, with at least one control carriage which is movable linearly via a drive means in a guide track running laterally along the roof part, with at least one deployment mechanism which pivots, raises and lowers the support bar and therefore the roof part, and with a stationary roof region arranged behind the movable roof part in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the movable roof part is pivotable from a closed position into a lifted position and is lowerable into an open position and is movable rearward under the roof region.
Such a drive system is generally known for tilt and slide roof modules in passenger vehicles. The roof module has a front movable roof part and a stationary rear roof region. A guide track via which the movable roof part is shiftable between a closed position and an open position is provided on both opposite longitudinal sides of the roof module. In the open position, the movable roof part is displaced rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle under the stationary roof region. In order to shift the roof part, a control carriage is provided in each guide track, wherein the two opposite control carriages are shifted along the guide tracks via synchronized drive means. In addition, a deployment mechanism is assigned to the roof part on both of the opposite sides thereof, said deployment mechanisms being actuated, likewise in a synchronized manner with respect to each other, in order to pivot the roof part upward into a ventilation position and in order to lower same downward for the transfer into an open position, and in order finally to transfer the roof part again into the closed position thereof.
It is the object of the invention to provide a drive system of the type mentioned at the beginning which, with simple means, permits a reliable transfer of the movable roof part into the various intermediate and end positions thereof.
This object is achieved in that the support bar is mounted at the front end region thereof so as to be pivotable about a pivot joint on a compensating element which, depending on the movement position of the roof part, is shiftable relative to a front guide arrangement of the deployment mechanism into different positions. According to the invention, the various functional parts are arranged in a reflected manner in the region of the opposite longitudinal sides of the roof part, and therefore the functional parts described, such as the control carriage, the support bar, the front guide arrangement and the compensating element are in each case provided in pairs. Since, however, the opposite functional parts are of mirror-symmetrical design relative to a vertical central longitudinal plane of the vehicle and are movable in a synchronized manner with respect to each other, for simplification purposes only the drive system on one side is described below. The correspondingly opposite side is designed analogously. The solution according to the invention is suitable in a particularly advantageous manner for use in a passenger vehicle, wherein the drive system together with the movable roof part and the stationary roof region are preferably provided preassembled in a roof module, which can be handled as a constructional unit. When the roof module is installed in a corresponding roof opening of the passenger vehicle, the connection to functional sections correspondingly provided on the vehicle side, in particular on the roof side, then takes place. The compensating element ensures that the movable roof part, during a transfer from a ventilation position, in which the roof part is deployed obliquely upward, into an open position, can be guided with the front and/or rear end edge region thereof past corresponding component sections or functional sections of the stationary roof region, or of a front-side frame part of the roof module during a lowering movement downward, without coming into contact with the corresponding functional sections or component sections. The same applies in a reverse return of the roof part from the open position into the closed position and the ventilation position. In the open position, the roof part is lowered downward under the roof outer contour, which is defined by the stationary roof region, and, spaced apart in the vertical direction from the rear roof region, is displaced rearward under the latter. The solution according to the invention permits the provision just of one single guide track in a single guide plane, as a result of which the overall height of the drive system is reduced and increased headroom is available within the vehicle interior of the passenger vehicle.
In a refinement of the invention, the compensating element is designed as a compensating lever which is mounted on the guide arrangement so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, and which comprises a control section and a compensating extension, which protrude on opposite sides relative to the pivot axis, wherein the compensating extension bears the pivot joint of the support bar, and the control section is coupled mechanically to the control carriage. Via corresponding pivoting movements of the compensating extension carrying the pivot joint of the support bar, the compensating lever permits the desired relative movements of the roof part during a transfer into different movement positions, in order to be able to guide the roof part past the adjacent functional sections of the roof module. Via the control section of the compensating lever, which is coupled to the control carriage, the corresponding compensating movements of the compensating extension can take place depending on the respective position of the control carriage and therefore depending on the corresponding movement positions of the roof part (of the support bar).
In a further refinement of the invention, the mechanical coupling of the control section to the control carriage is designed as a slotted guide mechanism which combines a relative longitudinal displacability with a relative vertical shiftability between the control section and the control carriage in order, depending on the movement position of the roof part and of the support bar, to bring about a pivoting of the compensating extension about small pivot angles. The slotted guide mechanism brings about forced guidance of the compensating lever and therefore of the compensating extension depending on the movement of the control carriage, as a result of which the desired compensating movements are achieved in the region of the pivot joint of the support bar.
In a further refinement of the invention, the slotted guide mechanism comprises a wraparound profile which wraps around the control section at least in sections in cross section, and the control section is designed as a dimensionally stable control bar which is provided with sections of curvature distributed in the vertical direction over the length thereof. The wraparound profile preferably wraps around the cross section of the control section completely in order thereby to achieve flanking of the control section on all sides by the wraparound profile. Owing to the sections of curvature of the control section configured as a control bar, a relative movement between the wraparound profile and the control section inevitably also results in vertical shifting, i.e. pivoting of the control section, as a result of which, owing to the integral continuation beyond the pivot axis into the compensating extension, the compensating extension is inevitably also pivoted in a desired manner.
In a further refinement of the invention, the wraparound profile is arranged rigidly on the control carriage. A longitudinal shifting of the control carriage therefore inevitably leads to a complementary longitudinal shifting of the wraparound profile, as a result of which the desired movement transmissions to the curved control bar are brought about using simple means.
In a further refinement of the invention, the control carriage and the front guide arrangement are movable in a common guide track. Accordingly, a longitudinal shifting of control carriage and guide arrangements takes place on opposite longitudinal sides of the roof part in a common, single guide plane, as a result of which the drive system for the roof part requires an only small overall height. An increase in the headroom of the vehicle interior of the passenger vehicle is inevitably achieved by this means.
In a further refinement of the invention, the front guide arrangement is assigned a latching arrangement which, depending on a movement position of the roof part and of the support bar relative to the guide track, blocks the guide arrangement or releases same for longitudinal shifting. The latching arrangement keeps the front guide arrangement in a defined position while the movable roof part is shiftable between the closed position thereof and the ventilation position thereof. In addition, the latching arrangement also keeps the front guide arrangement in the blocked position still when the roof part is shifted downward relative to the outer contour of the roof region, in order to initiate a displacement of the roof part rearward into the open position under the roof region.
In a further refinement of the invention, the latching arrangement has a latching lever which, in the locking position thereof, is supported in a form-fitting manner in a latching receptacle of the guide track, and the control carriage has a driver arrangement which, depending on the movement position of the roof part and of the support bar, lifts the latching lever out of the latching receptacle and carries along the latching lever. The driver arrangement ensures that the front guide arrangement is released for carrying the roof part along rearward into the open position.
In a further refinement of the invention, the latching lever is coupled to the front guide arrangement so as to be pivotable about the pivot axis of the compensating lever. This is a particularly simple and functionally reliable arrangement of the latching lever.
In a further refinement of the invention, the latching lever is extended rearward from the pivot axis and, on the rear end region thereof, has a latching lug which interacts in a form-fitting manner with the latching receptacle of the guide track. The latching lug in conjunction with the stationary latching receptacle in the guide track brings about blocking or release of the latching lever and therefore of the front guide arrangement, depending on the lifted-out position or blocked position of the latching lug.
Further advantages and features of the invention emerge from the claims and from the description below of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is illustrated with reference to the drawings.
According to
In addition, the roof module has a deployment lever 5 which is provided in the region of a front end edge of the roof opening closeable by the roof part 4 and which, in the open position of the roof part 4 according to
In order to shift the roof part 4 between said different movement positions, a drive system which is described in more detail with reference to
The support bar 9 is mounted at the front end region thereof on a compensating lever 10 so as to be pivotable about a pivot joint 12, wherein the pivot joint 12 defines a joint axis extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The compensating lever 10 is mounted on a front guide arrangement 8 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis S which extends parallel to the joint axis of the pivot joint 12. The guide arrangement 8 has two sliding feet (not denoted specifically) which are guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner in the guide rail arrangement 7. A pivot mounting, which defines the pivot axis S, both for the compensating lever 10 and for a front end of a latching lever 16 (described in more detail below), which extends from the front guide arrangement 8 rearward in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail arrangement 7, is defined between the sliding feet. The compensating lever 10 has an compensating extension 11 which extends obliquely upward and forward from the pivot mounting, which defines the pivot axis S, in the region of the front guide arrangement 8. The pivot joint 12 for the support bar 9 is arranged on a front end region of the compensating extension 11. A control section 13 which, like the compensating extension 11, is an integral part of the compensating lever 10, extends rearward in the opposite direction. The control section 13 forms a dimensionally stable control bar which extends freely rearward in the longitudinal direction and which is provided with a plurality of different sections of curvature extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The different configuration of the sections of curvature can readily be seen with reference to the side views according to
The support bar 9 furthermore has a control contour 15 which is curved in a vertical longitudinal plane of the vehicle and is provided on a lower edge region of the support bar 9 over a large part of the length of the support bar 9. The control contour or slide 15 is arranged fixedly on the support bar 9 and extends in an identical manner on opposite longitudinal sides of the support bar 9 (see in particular
In addition, each drive side of the drive system also has a latching lever 16 which extends rearward from the front guide arrangement 8 and is provided on its rear end region with a downwardly protruding latching lug 18. The base of the guide rail arrangement 7 has a latching receptacle 19 which is complementary with respect to the latching lug 18 and in which the latching lug 18 is held in a form-fitting manner in the latching position of the latching lever 16. In addition, the latching lever 16 is provided, in the rear region thereof, at a small distance from the latching lug 18 with a driver contour 17 which is open forward and obliquely upward and is configured as a hook-like receptacle. A driver pin 21 interacts with said driver contour 17, the driver pin protruding from the control carriage 6 in the transverse direction of the vehicle on a side opposite the wraparound profile 20 and being fastened to the control carriage 6. The driver pin 21 overlaps the latching lever 16 in the transverse direction of the vehicle, as can be seen with reference to
As can be seen with reference to
In the closed position of the roof part 4 according to
If the control carriage 6 is now moved out of this position according to
If the roof part 4 is intended to be shifted forward again out of said opening position according to
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2014 221 120 | Oct 2014 | DE | national |
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Entry |
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Office Action in European Patent Office issued in Application No. EP 15 18 3550 with English translation of category of cited documents dated Apr. 1, 2016 (9 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160107514 A1 | Apr 2016 | US |